Partum Health Now Accepts All Medicaid Plans For Doula Care in Illinois

In December 2024, Illinois became one of 23 states (plus Washington DC) that provides Medicaid coverage for doula services. Today, Partum Health is proud to officially announce that we are contracted with all five major Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in Illinois, as well as through Illinois Healthcare and Family Services.

Families in Illinois on the following Medicaid plans can access doula care at no cost through Partum Health:

• Aetna Better Health of Illinois
• Blue Cross Community Health Plans (BCCHP)
• CountyCare
• Meridian
• Molina Healthcare of Illinois
• HFS Medicaid

A milestone for a new model of maternity care

Studies consistently show that doula care has a positive impact on maternal and infant health, and can serve to reduce racial disparities in birth outcomes. At Partum Health, we embrace doula care as a core part of our comprehensive maternal care model. Access to doula care alongside clinical support for lactation, physical therapy, behavioral health, and nutrition can make a huge positive impact for families. Preliminary outcomes show our patients are more likely to meet breastfeeding goals and have fewer costly complications like NICU admissions, lower NTSV Cesarean rates, and lower OASIS (birth injury) rates compared to national benchmarks.

From the moment Partum Health was founded, our team has been focused on ensuring that all families can access quality perinatal care, regardless of their ability to pay. Between kickstarting provider credentialing in January, accepting our first Medicaid patient in June, and finalizing our partnerships across all Illinois Medicaid insurers in October, we are proud of the steps we’ve taken towards that vision in 2025. 

Helping more doulas reach Medicaid patients

Partum Health is also proud to be one of the first healthcare organizations to offer comprehensive, Illinois-Medicaid approved accreditation training for doulas. Through our interdisciplinary full-spectrum doula training program, EMBRACE, we not only provide a well-rounded, evidence-based understanding of perinatal health and birth justice, but also guide doulas through:

• State certification 
• Medicaid credentials
• Contracting with MCOs

We also manage the challenge of billing and reimbursement from MCOs for doulas, so they can focus their energies on patient care, not red tape. 

We’ve trained more than 75 doulas in our first year alone, and are just getting started. EMBRACE is a critical facet of our mission to expand care access by increasing the accredited doula population in Illinois, which builds capacity for the underserved Medicaid community. We’re also committed to helping doulas grow their career and reach more patients, particularly those in marginalized populations, by providing support through Medicaid credentialing and care delivery. 

Looking ahead

As Illinois moves into its second year of Medicaid-funded doula care, there is still much work to be done to bridge the gap between policy and practical care. The state’s 2025 maternal mortality report shows stagnant outcomes, neither improvement or deterioration. It’s important to note that the report reviews data from 2021-2022, and we remain hopeful that public health and policy changes like Medicaid reimbursement for doula care will lead to improved outcomes for both Illinois parents and babies. Now that we have cleared the logistical hurdles and can work with all major MCOs, we are excited to build upon our work and continue strengthening the perinatal care infrastructure in Illinois and beyond.

Guide: How to get a doula through Medicaid in Illinois

As we mark the end of the year, we also mark this milestone as an inflection point not just for Partum Health, but for maternal health in Illinois. We’re honored to take this step forward with the whole Partum Health team, our partners, and the families we serve.

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Meghan Doyle, CEO & co-founder

Matt Rogers, COO & co-founder

Melissa Dennis, MD, Chief Medical Officer

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit www.partumhealth.com or call 877-381-5221.